Microbial Diversity: Genetic Diversity Vs Functional Diversity

Diversity is the main descriptor of community structure and is a determining factor in the dynamics and function of ecological communities [1]. However, the latter implicitly differs based on the different types of organisms and their relative abundance within the community which is considered to be significant [2]. Research in microbial ecology focuses on the study of microbial community dynamics usually, as well as managed systems. It is a difficult task, under circumstances where they are found in different proportions in nature, and are adapted to different environmental conditions such as temperature, pH, and extreme pressures, as well as the ability to use any type of organic or inorganic substance as substrate for their metabolism. This versatility in microorganisms provided the scope for answering the reasons for changes in community throughout biotic and abiotic gradients, such as productivity, area, latitude and heterogeneity of resources [3], how these microbial communities function in nature [4] and how disturbances (e.g. addition of a pollutant, floods or drought) modify the structure of the community. It has been hypothesized that functioning and sustainability depend on maintaining a specific level of biodiversity. In order to substantiate this statement, the present review addresses two important components of microbial communities, genetic and functional diversity, with the purpose of relating these concepts with ecosystem functioning.